


O Thomas Hunt, Wherefore Art Thou My Professor?

by moodyvalentine



Series: O Thomas Hunt, Wherefore Art Thou My Professor? [1]
Category: Hollywood U: Rising Star
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-17
Updated: 2019-05-05
Packaged: 2019-07-13 17:19:20
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 16
Words: 20,550
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16022438
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/moodyvalentine/pseuds/moodyvalentine
Summary: Rachel Fields has been accepted at the University of her dreams -- Hollywood U. She expected to improve her acting, meet new friends, and maybe even achieve some of her dreams. What she in no way saw coming was a certain professor, who would turn her world upside down...





	1. Welcome to Hollywood U, Rachel.

**Author's Note:**

> This is kind of a fan-made extension to "Hollywood U", if you will. I tell the story of Rachel Fields [representing the MC in the game] with a focus on her relationship with her professor. I'll tell the story you may know from the dates, except in more detail and so on, and extend on it even further since "Hollywood U" has unfortunately been discontinued.
> 
> Yes, I know he reappears in Choices, but I wanted to continue his story with the MC.
> 
> Also, yes, I will very much change the main storyline because most of it is just so... WTF.

There it was. Right in front of me. The actors' dorm of Hollywood U, the only university that I'd ever considered going to. I still couldn't believe that someone chose to donate a scholarship to me. How did I get this lucky? I didn't know. What mattered was that I was here now. Finally. After admiring the building for a couple more seconds, I finally picked up my suitcase and walked through the door -- and promptly crashed into someone.

"Oh, I'm so sorry," the girl said. "I was just looking for my dorm, but I can't seem to find it."

I looked up at her, a gorgeous blonde with impeccable fashion sense. She must have been a fashion major. "It's fine. I'm a little out of it, too," I chuckled. "I'm Rachel, by the way."

She smiled. "Addison. You... wouldn't happen to know where I can find the dorm for fashion students?"

So I had been right about that. "No, but I'd be happy to help you look for it. I just have to put my things away first. Did you stumble upon room 221 by any chance?"

"Oh, I did. Here, let me show you. It's the least I can do if you'll help me find my dorm," she said and motioned for me to follow her.

As I could have guessed by the number, the room was on the second floor. It wasn't particularly luxurious or big, as was to be expected from a college dorm, even if it was a very expensive college, but it looked decent enough. I threw my suitcase on the bed and returned to Addison, who was waiting in the corridor. She wasn't alone, though. A group of four, presumably other students, was out there as well.

"Honestly, I'm surprised they even let you in. Aren't you, like, totally poor?" one of the girls, a very pretty brunette with a perfect figure, wearing a sparkly dress that looked like it belonged on a catwalk rather than a college campus, said. It was obvious that she -- or at least her family -- had money. A lot of it.

I didn't think much before I acted. "Excuse me? Have you not heard of scholarships? Some people get into universities because of their performances and achievements, not just because their parents have a lot of money to spend on them."

The girl and her entourage turned to me. "And you are?"

"I'm sorry. I'm not in the habit of telling bullies anything."

The brunette flipped her hair like she was in some kind of cheap teen movie. "Whatever. I don't need to know some nobody's name, anyway. Have fun doing... whatever you losers do in your free time."

"You really shouldn't have done that," one of her followers, a girl wearing all purple, said. "Bianca isn't someone you want as your enemy."

"But she _totes_ hates you now," the other girl said.

They were all looking at the guy, who was obnoxiously wearing an unbuttoned shirt, as if they were waiting for him to say something. He just stared out of the window, though, and didn't seem to even notice what was going on around him. The brunette, Bianca, rolled her eyes. "Shae, Jenni, Lance. Come on. If I spend any more time here, I'll start feeling dirty again."

The four of them left and I turned my attention to Addison, who wasn't too happy.

"Seemed like they know you," I said. "Aren't you also new here?"

"Yes and... not quite. I've lived in the area for quite a while. Even attended some classes. I just couldn't get in until now."

"Because you couldn't afford it? I get it. The tuition is crazy expensive. I wouldn't be here if someone hadn't paid it for me," I explained.

She smiled. "I got in because of the work I did on a movie last year. Costume design, you know. Apparently, someone at the university thought that someone with 'as much talent as Addison Sinclair' should get to go here."

"That's amazing! Congrats, Addison. Now, how about we go find your dorm?"

We walked around the campus for a while, Addison telling me about the buildings we passed by that she'd already known, until we finally found the right dorm. It was all the way on the other side of the campus.

"Thanks for helping me, Rachel," she said with a smile and pushed open the door. Before she went inside, she turned around. "Hey, do you want to go out with me and some friends tonight? There's this cool club that's, like, pretty exclusive, but I know someone who can get us in."

It was my first day here. I was exhausted. And I knew I still had some reading to do before my first class on Monday. Still, a night on the town -- in a hot club in Hollywood, no less! -- sounded too good to pass up. "Sure. Where should I meet you?"

"I'll pick you up at your dorm. At least I know where that is."

I chuckled. "All right. See you later, then."

After Addison had gone inside, I returned to my dorm and immediately went to take a nap. Yes, I should've probably started unpacking. But I was tired, and I could already tell I wouldn't get a whole lot of sleep that night.

A couple hours later, I was woken up by a knock on my door. Instinctively, I looked to the right, only to find that my bedside table with the alarm clock on it wasn't there. Right -- I wasn't at home anymore. I quickly grabbed my phone from the nightstand, which was on the other side of the bed, and looked at the clock. Damn it. I'd slept too long. I quickly got out of bed and opened the door to find Addison, styled to perfection.

She looked me up and down, an eyebrow raised. "No make-up? A worn-out tee? Messy hair? This is what you choose to wear to one of the trendiest clubs around?"

I sighed. "I'm sorry, Addison. I kind of... overslept."

She grinned. "I figured. Which is why I brought you this." She held up a garment bag, opening it up to reveal a stunning sapphire-coloured dress with tasteful cutouts around the waist. "So we don't have to waste time on finding you an outfit."

"Wow. Where did you get that? It's gorgeous!"

Addison blushed and smiled. "Actually... I made this." Suddenly, she got flustered. "I mean, I would totally understand if you don't want to wear something that was made by an amateur, but I thought--"

"What? That makes me want to wear it even more! Give it to me," I said enthusiastically as I grabbed the bag. She turned around as I got out of my pajamas and into the dress. Checking my reflection in the window, I had to say it looked even better on than on the hanger.

"I knew it would suit you," Addison said, smiling. "Now, go fix your hair and make-up. I'll call us a cab." With that, she disappeared, and I made my way down the hall to the bathroom. I was done in less than ten minutes. I'd never been one to wear a lot of make-up. A bit of eyeliner -- which, admittedly, turned out to be more dramatic-looking than I'd intended -- and some red lipstick, and I was good to go.

I went downstairs, and Addison informed me that the cab was already waiting for us. We quickly made our way over to the exit it was supposed to be at, and got into the car. Not much later, we arrived at our destination. I couldn't see much of the building because of the crowd that surrounded it.

"Oh. It's not usually that... crowded. I'll go talk to the bouncer. Wait here?" Addison said.

I nodded as she walked up to the intimidating guy in black who was guarding the entrance. He said something, and Addison returned with slumped shoulders.

"I'm sorry, Rachel, but apparently we can't get in today. The cast of _Fireman: Inferno_ is apparently having their wrap party in there," she explained.

"It's okay. We can go somewhere else, right?"

"Going somewhere else? Not as long as I'm around," an unfamiliar voice said. I looked in the direction it came from the see a guy in an expensive-looking suit.

"Ethan Blake," he introduced himself. "Agent. Or, well, an aspiring one. Let me handle this."

He walked up to the bouncer, talked to him for a couple of minutes, then waved us over. "My friend Diego here," he said, gesturing to the bouncer, "had no idea you were with me. Now, of course, he's not going to keep me and my friends out."

Diego lifted the velvet rope and let us all inside.

"Thanks, Ethan," Addison said with a smile.

"Always good to have me in your corner, eh?" he chuckled.

We stepped inside and I was immediately overwhelmed. The dancefloor was packed. There were so many people in here!

"Ethan is my agent, by the way," Addison explained as we walked up to a table in the back of the club, where two people were already sitting. "He's still a student at HWU, but he knows just about anyone he'd need to know."

"That's right. And I know exactly who you are. Rachel Fields, right?"

"How did you--"

"It's my job to know. And, if you let me take you on as a client, I will make you the next big thing."

I raised an eyebrow. "I'm not much of a fan of empty promises."

We got to the table and were greeted by a girl in gothic attire and a nerdy-looking guy.

"You must be Rachel," the girl said. "Addison told us you'd join us today. Love the outfit, by the way. Did Addi make it?"

I nodded, but before I was able to say anything, the girl started speaking again.

"I'm Kelsey, and that's my boyfriend Keith. We're both aspiring directors and go to Hollywood U."

"So, about the you-becoming-a-client thing," Ethan said.

Kelsey laughed. "He's already trying to take you on, too? I mean, not like he's bad at his job. But do you even know her?"

Ethan rolled his eyes. "I know everything I need to know. Snatched the leads in all school productions? Check. Made the cut for HWU? Check. She's the next big thing, I'm telling you."

The guy, Keith, shook his head. "You say that about everyone."

They started jokingly arguing, and I decided it was time for a drink so I headed to the bar. Unfortunately, I was completely unable to get the bartender's attention. I was getting frustrated and almost on my way back to the table when a guy walked up to the bar and stood right next to me. He gave me a quick smile and turned to the bartender. She immediately came over and asked for his order.

"A single malt. Top shelf. Neat. And something for my friend over here. What'll you have?"

It took me a few seconds to respond as I was taken aback by the fact that he'd just got the bartender's attention within seconds while I'd waited here for over five minutes. "Um, Bourbon."

"Excellent choice," the guy said. "What's your name?"

"Rachel," I told him. "Yours?"

He laughed. "Chris. Chris Winters."

My jaw dropped. That explained how he was able to get the bartender over here so quickly. "Oh... I... should've recognised you."

Another warm laugh. "I mean, it _is_ pretty dark in here."

I didn't quite know how to react. This was Chris Winters. A man whose poster had hung above my bed until high school... maybe even throughout high school... fine, until I moved away to come here. How was I supposed to react?

"Come on, now. You're in Hollywood now, Rachel. Did you really expect to never run into a celebrity?"

I chuckled. "Guess I didn't expect to on my first day here."

The bartender brought our drinks, and Chris raised his glass. "To your first day in Hollywood, then."

We toasted and he smiled at me again. Then, someone called his name.

"Looks like your attention is required elsewhere," I said.

"Looks like. I'll see you around, though, right?"

I smirked. "I'll be on the big screen in no time."

"Will keep my eyes peeled for it," he said before disappearing into the crowd.

Suddenly, people were walking up to me, asking me all sorts of questions. I tried to get back to my table, but that was impossible. The crowd closed in, pushing me around -- straight into, who else, the girl from earlier. Bianca. She dropped the glass of champagne she was holding, spilling its contents all over her designer dress.

"Oh my God!" she screeched. "You did that on purpose, didn't you?"

"I... I really didn't," I tried to explain, but she wouldn't let me.

"You'll pay for this," she said and stalked off.

The guy from earlier had been right beside her. He yelled for security to come over, and before I could even try to explain myself, two guards were escorting me out of the club. That was not how I'd planned to end my first night here.

Soon after, Addison and the others came out of the club.

"Rachel! There you are. We saw you get kicked out," Addison said, walking up to me. "Are you okay?"

I sighed. "Yes. Kind of. Lost my dignity there, but other than that..."

"No worries. Getting kicked out of clubs is the first step to stardom," Kelsey chuckled.

"Um... it's the first step to rehab," Ethan corrected.

I laughed a little. "Really, it's fine. It's that spoilt brat's fault, anyway."

"Bianca?" Kelsey guessed.

"That's the one," I said. "Spilled champagne over herself and blamed me. Told me I'd pay."

"Believe me, this is not payment yet, " Addison said, the expression on her face sad. I wanted to ask what exactly she meant, but it didn't look like she'd want to talk about it, so I left it alone.

"Well, I suppose this is where the night ends for me," I said. "Don't let that stop you guys, though."

"Are you sure?" Addison asked. "We could come back with you."

"No, it's all right. I'm gonna head to bed. Have quite a bit to do before classes start, anyway, so being up early tomorrow wouldn't be the worst."

I hugged Addison good night, and waved the other goodbye before headig back to the dorm.

 


	2. Rachel, We've Got A Problem.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bianca wasn't done with Rachel yet. In fact, she was just getting started. After being reported to the University, Rachel was forced to face the University Board Committee... and what they had to say was not pleasant.

The next morning, a number I didn't recognise called me, waking me up. I grabbed my phone and answered it. "Hello?"

"Rise and shine, Rachel. I've got some not-so-great news for you," an awfully awake-sounding Ethan said.

"How the fuck did you get my number?" I asked. He didn't answer. If he had, he'd probably just told me that stuff like that was his job.

"You've got a meeting today. A very unpleasant one, as well."

"What? Why? And how do you know?" I was confused. And the fact that I was tired didn't exactly help with that.

He sighed. "Your agent, remember? I know your schedule now. Alas, you've been called in front of the University Board Committee."

Suddenly, I was wide awake. "What?"

Classes hadn't even started yet? How was that possible? It dawned on me just before Ethan said it.

"Bianca. She reported you for allegedly assaulting her."

I rolled my eyes. "She spilt a drink on herself. How stupid is this girl?"

"Stupid? Not so much. Out for blood? That's more like it. Come on, get dressed, and meet me outside your dorm in twenty."

With that, Ethan hung up, and I quickly made myself presentable.

"You're late," he said once I was downstairs. "By exactly thirty seconds."

I didn't bother to respond but instead followed him to what I assumed was the main building. Not much later, I was sitting in front of a row of Hollywood U's top professors. Among them was a man I recognised. Not because of the movies he'd directed, I knew he was a director but wasn't enough of a film buff to know all about his projects, but because I'd seen him before. Quite a lot of him, in fact. Enough to know that, underneath that immaculate suit, he was hiding some serious abs. Thomas Hunt. Director, former underwear model, and, apparently, a professor at Hollywood U.

Next to the professors sat Bianca with her friends, looking at me with smug faces.

Professor Hunt gave me a cold stare. Clearly, he had already chosen a side. From what Ethan had told me, Bianca's father was quite influential. Surely he had quite a few professors in his pocket.

"What's his problem?" I whispered to Ethan.

He shrugged. "Hunt really doesn't like anyone. He's got quite the reputation for making people's lives hell."

Suddenly, said professor cleared his throat. "Ahem, Miss Fields? So sorry to interrupt your clearly extraordinarily important conversation, but we do have business to attend to."

His voice matched his appearance perfectly in terms of attractiveness. Of course, though, that didn't matter right now. Or ever, really. I wasn't going to be pathetic enough to develop a crush on a professor. One with a reputation like Thomas Hunt, no less.

"Of course. Sorry," I croaked. My mouth had gone completely dry. My heart was racing. Could this be over as quickly and suddenly as it had begun? Would I not be able to live my dream, after all?

"According to Miss Stone, you accosted her last night at a club and threw your drink at her," Professor Hunt continued.

"That's right! She was so violent. I honestly don't even feel safe being in the same room as her right now," Bianca chimed in. The guy, Lance, as Ethan had told me on the way over, put an arm around her as if to comfort her.

"Miss Stone, please do not speak unless spoken to," Hunt scolded her. "Is there anything you would like to say, Miss Fields?"

"That is not at all what happened. I bumped into her by accident, causing her to spill her drink," I tried to explain, fiddling around with my fingers.

Professor Hunt scoffed. "At least you admit to the incident occurring. Nonetheless, Miss Stone has several witnesses, who have claimed that it was not only intentional but that you were aggressive during the confrontation."

Bianca's friends weighed in, each telling lies about how you were violent and needed to be disciplined.

After they were done, the professor spoke again. "Though it didn't happen on campus, we take these matters _very_ seriously. As a student at Hollywood University, your actions reflect on this institution. Starting today, we're putting you on probation. By the end of the month, the board will need to see that you've completed at least three high-profile projects, and you'll need three industry professionals to vouch for your character."

I swallowed hard. It sounded like an impossible task. But they were giving me another chance, and I would've been a fool not to take it. "Understood."

"And, one more thing, Miss Fields. One step out of line during this time, and you'll be expelled."

"Understood," I repeated. This was hell. Literal hell.

Ethan and I walked back to my dorm. It wasn't my finest hour, but all the way back, I complained about how terrible everything was and how I would never be able to do what they asked of me. Ethan tried to convince me I would, but it just seemed like way too much. Once we got to my dorm, he stopped me from entering.

"Listen, Rachel. We have a shot at this."

"We?" I asked, suddenly feeling a slight wave of relief.

"Of course. You're my client. I'll help you. Now, meet me at the Starbucks across the street in about two hours. We're getting started on this right away."

After Ethan left, I went straight back to bed and screamed into my pillow. Why, oh why, was this happening to me?

In an attempt to calm myself, I started unpacking until it was time to meet Ethan. I glanced at my reflection, realising I should have probably taken a bit of time to clean myself up, but deciding it wasn't worth being late for. I had a feeling Ethan wouldn't particularly appreciate that.

He was waiting for me by the Starbucks' door.

"Rachel. There you are. I have a meeting lined up for you," he said as I was still walking towards him.

"A meeting?" Had he already found me a project to work on? If that was the case, he truly was good at his job.

Ethan nodded. "With an up-and-coming director duo. They're looking to produce and direct a video for Lisa Valentine. They already have an idea and everything, but don't want to pitch it until they have an actress to realise their ideas."

"Don't singers usually act in their own music videos?" I asked.

He pinched the bridge of his nose. "Rachel. Just... come inside. We'll explain."

I followed him inside and saw two familiar faces sitting there.

"Kelsey and Keith? That's your up-and-coming director duo?" I asked, an eyebrow raised. "Not to be rude, but aren't you two still just students at HWU?"

Kelsey crossed her arms. "So are you. Sit down. We have business to talk about."

I did as she told me while Ethan went to get us coffee.

"You've heard of Lisa Valentine, right?" Kelsey asked.

"The name sounds somewhat familiar... I don't know, though."

Keith sighed. "She was the girl that played Lisa Mermaid for a long time. She's looking to break out of that whole family-friendly image, though."

Lisa Mermaid. Right, I'd watched that show when I was a kid. I'd had no idea the actress sang outside of that, though.

"So she's making her own music now?" I asked.

"Exactly. Her debut single just came out and she wants an epic video to go with it," Kelsey explained. "We, of course, already have a great idea."

Keith slid some papers for me to look at across the table. Some sketches, and a script. It looked like they wanted to show exactly how grown up Lisa was. In a... kind of edgy type of way. Very sex, drugs and rock'n'roll. I was quite intrigued.

"I'm guessing you want me to play the... well... I wouldn't say love interest. More, like, sex interest?" I asked after looking at everything for a while.

They both nodded. "I mean, if you're comfortable with that," Keith said.

I grinned. "Oh, absolutely. Do you guys want me to, like, show you that I can act or something?"

Kelsey shrugged. "Honestly, we're not that professional. We've only directed one thing for real, and that was another music video for a classmate. You won't have to talk much, anyway, just... make out... have fun. We were really just looking for someone who would probably say yes and looks decent."

"Okay," I said, even though I was a little offended, "I'm in."

I needed to complete three major projects. If, and that was a big if, Kelsey and Keith could convince someone with Lisa Valentine's fame to direct her music video, and I would star in it... I'm pretty sure that would count as one. Maybe, if I played my cards right, Lisa would even vouch for me as an industry professional. After all, she'd been in this industry since she was a little kid.


	3. Hollywood 101

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rachel's first class didn't exactly go as she expected. But she did meet a new friend and even got some good news this time around...

Kelsey and Keith were to meet with Lisa Valentine on Monday morning. They offered to let me come with, but I wasn't going to miss the first day of classes. I wasn't going to make the university's decision easier by not showing up to class.

The rest of my weekend was rather uneventful. I caught up on the reading for my _Hollywood 101_ class, which was, unfortunately for me, to be taught by none other than Thomas Hunt, who clearly already had it out for me. It wouldn't have been smart not to come prepared.

Monday morning came faster than I'd hoped. I felt nervous as hell, and even when Addison came to pick me up from my dorm because she had the same class as me I didn't feel much better.

"It's going to be fine," she said. "We all get the jitters on our first day."

"Well, we're not all already hated by our professor," I countered.

She chuckled. "When it comes to Hunt? Yeah, we are. Don't worry about it. Now, come on, let's get some breakfast."

I wasn't very hungry but followed her to a little coffee shop around the corner anyway. She insisted on making me eat, so I ordered a sandwich, which was delicious, and despite the odd feeling in my stomach, I knew getting food inside of me wasn't the worst idea.

Not much later, we were standing inside a spacious theatre that was already filled with students. The professor was already standing on the stage, talking. Damn it. Hurriedly, Addison and I found some seats in the back of the theatre, making our way to them, hoping the professor hadn't spotted me. But of course he had.

"Ah, Miss Fields. I shouldn't be surprised that you're late. Both of you, get out," he said, clearly annoyed.

"What?" Addison said in surprise. "But we--"

"Did I stutter?" Hunt interrupted her. "First lesson of the day, in Hollywood, even being on time is considered late. Clearly, Miss Fields, your probation hasn't been incentive enough to make you re-evaluate your behaviour. Out. Now."

I cocked an eyebrow. Oh, no. I was not going to let him do that. Instead of obeying, I just sat down.

"Rachel!" Addison gasped. "What are you _doing_?"

"Getting an education," I simply replied and motioned for her to sit down next to me. "That is what I'm here for after all, isn't it, professor?" 

Hunt's glare was cold and hard, but I returned it without looking away. After a few seconds, he finally spoke, not averting his eyes. "It is. Fortunately for you, this isn't a movie set. If it was, and you showed up late without a recent amputation, you _would_ be fired on the spot. Now _do not_ interrupt me again."

He continued, talking about some organisational matters.

"I can't believe you just did that," Addison whispered. "I've never seen anyone stand up to Hunt like that."

"Well, I'm not just anyone," I grinned. Clearly, the professor had noticed us whispering, as he shot me a warning glare. I wasn't stupid enough to talk again. Instead, I listened intently.

"This class is about exploration. Learning by doing, in a way. Each week, you will be paired with one or more of your classmates and asked to create something. Be it a short film, a song, or anything else you could possibly imagine. Because while you may _think_ you understand your craft, while you may _think_ you've got what it takes to _make it_... you don't. Not yet."

I was already hanging onto his every word. He told us more about what we'd be doing exactly, talked about the syllabus for a bit, and ended the lecture by giving us homework -- we were to find a partner that we would have to create _something_ with. What that something was, he didn't say.

"I expect all of you back here tomorrow. Bright and early," he said, his icy eyes fixating on me. "And if I were you, I wouldn't dare be late. Class dismissed."

After he'd walked off stage, I turned to Addison. "He _hates_ me."

"I'm not going to lie, he seems to dislike you more than the average student," she admitted. "But you did talk back, and I'm fairly certain that didn't make things better for you."

I sighed. "Probably not. Damn it. Maybe we should have just left..."

"Absolutely not," Addison said. "You have an opportunity here. Show Hunt you're talented and deserve to be here. These assignments are perfect for that!"

She wasn't wrong. If I could ace whatever tests he threw my way, maybe I could convince him I was worthy of being here, after all. "Thanks, Addi. So, would you like to be my partner for the first assignment?"

She bit her lip. "I would, but I can't. I promised another friend we'd work on our first assignment together."

"That's okay," I said, even though I felt my stomach drop. "I'm sure I can find someone else."

As Addison left, I looked around the room to see if anyone was standing around on their own. Suddenly, I felt someone tap on my shoulder. I spun around to see a guy in a pretty hipster-y ensemble, complete with stubble and man bun.

"What you did there was pretty cool," he said. "You know, staying even though Hunt said you couldn't."

I blushed. "Oh. Well... thanks, I guess. Do you have a partner yet?"

"Nope," he said. "Was going to ask you. What's your major?"

"I'm an actor," I said. "The name's Rachel."

"Simon," he introduced himself. "Screenwriter."

I chuckled. "Let's hope our first assignment is a play or short film."

He smiled. "Let's hope so. Hey, you up for grabbing a coffee? My treat."

"I would," I said, "but I've got to meet some other friends. I've got another project I'm working on. Rain check?"

"Sure. Before I go, though, let's exchange numbers. For the project."

After I had his number in my phone, we said goodbye, and I left to meet Kelsey and Keith at the director dorm. They weren't there yet, so I shot them a quick text.

"Youth nowadays," I heard a low voice say. "So reliant on technology."

I looked up to see exactly who I knew I'd see once I'd heard that voice. Thomas fucking Hunt. "Why exactly did you feel the need to comment on that?" I asked, irritated. What on earth was his problem?

He seemed taken aback by my reaction. Maybe he was surprised I even reacted at all. "Oh. Do I not have the right to voice my opinion?" he asked once he had recovered from his initial surprise.

"You do. Just not on the things I do. Unless it's in your class, which, in case you hadn't noticed, we're not in right now so..."

Hunt huffed, as he seemed to do often. "You're already treading on thin ice, Miss Fields. You would be ill-advised to get on my bad side."

"Wait, that's not your bad side yet? Oh, boy, I don't think I wanna see what that looks like then," I chuckled.

A hint of a smirk appeared on his face, for a fraction of a second. "No, you do not. Until tomorrow, Miss Fields."

"Until tomorrow, Professor," I said, immediately rolling my eyes once he'd turned to leave.

From the direction he was headed in, I saw Keith and Kesley walk my way.

"How'd the pitch meeting go?" I asked as they came to a stop. They were both wearing perfect poker faces. There was no way I could tell if they didn't say anything.

Then, Keith started grinning. "We got it," he said.

"Oh my God!" I squealed and hugged him.

Far behind the both of them, I saw Professor Hunt turning around to see what was going on. He seemed puzzled, but not for long. He turned away again and left.

"We're shooting Thursday afternoon. That is all right with you, right?" Kelsey asked.

I nodded. "Absolutely. I only have a class early in the morning so I'm sure that'll work out."

They told me they were getting a crew together that was to consist of mostly HWU students, and I promised them to keep my eyes peeled for talented people, even though I didn't know a lot of other students around here.

A little while later, I was back in my dorm and decided to text the guy from earlier.

_Hey Simon,_  
_you busy? Wanna head out for coffee, after all?_

He didn't take long to respond.

_Absolutely. Starbucks in 10?_

I quickly threw on a dress and brushed my hair, not bothering with make-up, and went out the door. I was there before he was. To be completely honest, I was rather impressed with myself. I ordered a Pumpkin Spice Latte and sat down at a table near the entrance so I would be able to spot him. Five minutes later, he walked in with a pile of paper in his hands.

"Ah, Rachel. Can I... put these down here while I grab a coffee?" he asked, putting the pile on the table.

"Sure," I said. "What are these?"

"Oh, just some things I've been working on. Not important. Let me get a drink and I'll be right back."

I eyed the papers. Would it be rude to sneak a peek? Probably. Nonetheless, I took the one on top.

 _Romeo and Juliet: Re-Imagined_ the heading said. I started reading. Unsurprisingly, it was a script for a re-telling of Romeo and Juliet. Surprisingly, I found myself liking it. I kept reading and reading and didn't even notice Simon returning.

"Found something you like?" he asked, startling me.

"Oh... I... didn't mean to..."

He laughed warmly. "It's okay. I don't usually show my work to others, but if you liked it..."

"I did," I said with a smile. "It's really good, actually. Who would have thought that making them communicate solely through internet chats would work so well?"

"I know, right? Everyone thought it was insane. Most still do."

"I think it's a strange idea, but the way you wrote this... you really made this work."

"You really think so?" he asked, and when I nodded, he immediately launched into a monologue about how he came up with the idea and so forth.

We somehow ended up talking about all our favourite movies: What we loved about them, what we would have changed... surprisingly enough, we agreed on a lot of it. Soon it was late, already dark out, and I realised we had been talking for hours.

"Suppose it's time to go now," I said. "Gotta be up early tomorrow."

Simon smiled. "Very true. I can't wait to work with you, by the way."

"Whatever it is, we're going to do a great job," I assured him.

"Unless it involves singing. I'm a terrible singer," he laughed.

"So am I. If Hunt makes us sing, _he's_ going to be the one regretting it. After all, he's going to have to listen to it."

We both laughed at the thought and then said our goodbyes.


	4. Hot, Hot Mess

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rachel got her assignment... which, clearly, was just Hunt being a jerk. Why else would he give her such an impossible task?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey. So, I mad a new tumblr. If you want to get to know me better, you can find it at moodyvalentinestories.tumblr.com. I'd love to see some of you over there :)

The next morning, I was awake two hours before my class even started. There was no way I would be late again. As Hunt had said yesterday, I was already on thin ice. I couldn't risk anything going wrong. I grabbed breakfast at the coffee shop Addison had taken me to yesterday and met up with Simon back on campus; to speculate about the mystery project we would have to start today. Neither of us really knew what it was going to be, but we were both hoping it would be something that worked with both our talents. Though, seeing as this was Professor Hunt's class, that didn't seem very likely.

We went to the theatre early and got there before anyone else. I was really quite impressed with us. At least this time we hadn't forgotten time while we talked. Not long after us, Hunt arrived. He raised an eyebrow at us but didn't say anything. Instead, he just unlocked the doors and let us in.

It didn't take long until the rest of the class was there, too. They'd clearly all taken Hunt's warnings seriously. I knew I had.

Once everyone sat, the professor, once again wearing a well-fitted jacket, spoke. "I do hope all of you have found a partner. If not," he pointed to the door, "you know where the exit is. This isn't high school. I'm not going to tell you who to work with."

I suppressed the urge to roll my eyes. What about people who have problems talking to others, dumbass?

"Now, since I know many of you would love to blame a subpar grade on me assigning you tasks that are too hard, I'll have you choose your own projects," Hunt continued. Everyone in the room started talking excitedly. His lips formed a smug smile. "One of your group will come to the front and randomly take a piece of paper out of this bowl." He held up a golden bowl that had stood next to him. "Coincidence. Isn't that the fairest we could make this?"

Simon sighed next to me. "I'm the most unlucky person you'll ever meet," he said. "If I go up there, we'll have to sing and dance _for sure_."

So he expected me to do it. Yeah, I was absolutely thrilled to walk up to the professor who hated me the most. Of course. "Fine, fine," I said. "I'll do it. But don't blame me if I draw something terrible."

I waited for a few minutes, until most of the class was done, so the stage wasn't too crowded anymore. Once I got to the front, Professor Hunt squinted at me. I didn't quite know what to make of it so I just walked up to the bowl to take a piece of paper out.

"Not you," Hunt suddenly said. "You're getting a special assignment."

I groaned. He really did have it out for me. "Can I blame you for my terrible grade then?"

"You can, but that won't change your grade. Come over here."

Reluctantly, I walked away from the bowl and towards the professor. I hadn't really looked at him up close. At least not properly. He was truly an attractive man. A jerk, for sure, but at least a jerk with a sexy ass jawline. Shaking my head to get rid of the thought, I asked, "So, what is my assignment?"

This was going to be terrible. He would ask me to do something I hated. For sure. I didn't know how he would know what I hated, but he probably had his ways.

"You want to be an actor, right?" he asked.

I crossed my arms in front of my chest. "I _am_ an actor."

"Confidence. Certainly not the worst trait to have in this industry." For a second, his face wasn't the grumpy one I'd known up until now. But just as quickly as it came, it was gone. "Unless, of course, it turns into cockiness. It's a thin line, Miss Fields."

"The assignment, professor?" I said impatiently.

He took a small stack of papers out of his messenger bag. He looked at it with disgust. " _God Forbade It_. A... an abomination, quite frankly, that was meant to be a short story."

"And you want me to... ?" I asked as he handed it to me.

"I want you, Miss Fields, and your partner to fix it. And, of course, turn it into a short film," he said with a smirk. "You have until Friday."

That didn't sound so bad. "Great. You may have done me a favour with this, actually."

I couldn't quite read his expression... he looked so... triumphant? I didn't understand until I actually looked at the script. It read like a terrible fan fiction, written by a horny thirteen-year-old. Oh, God. This was hell. I returned to Simon, feeling defeated.

"Everything all right? What did Hunt give to you?" he asked.

I sighed and gave him the script. "Our assignment."

He quickly scanned it, clearly not believing his eyes. "Tell me we're supposed to burn this."

I shook my head. "More like fix it and make a short film out of it."

"He hates you," Simon stated matter-of-factly.

Looking at the floor, I said, "He does. I'm sorry. I understand if you want to look for another partner..."

"Absolutely not. We're doing this. Nothing is impossible."

"We're trying to turn garbage into gold here, Simon. It's not gonna fly."

He put his hands on my shoulders, making me look up. "Is this the same girl that stood up to Thomas Hunt her very first day? Would that girl give up?"

"I am that girl and, yes, she would."

He shook me. "Earth to Rachel. You want to stay here, don't you?"

I did. He was right. Just because Hunt had some sort of vendetta against me, I wouldn't back down. Just like Addison had said yesterday -- this was my chance to show that I was in fact talented. "Let's get to work then."

Once Hunt dismissed the class, we immediately headed to the library to secure us a spot. It filled up rather quickly with people from Hunt's course so we were glad we'd thought ahead. Simon stayed and started scribbling down notes while I went to get us some coffee. With extra espresso shots. We would be at this for a while.

"Aw, Rachel," someone said as I left the coffee shop with two large lattes in my hands. "You shouldn't have."

Of fucking course. Bianca. As if this day wasn't already shitty enough. She reached for one of the paper cups, but I didn't let her take it. "No way, Bianca. I'm busy and really can't deal with you right now."

"What, did Professor H give you a hard assignment? Boo-hoo. Well, I, for one, hope you fail." She grinned at me mischievously and slapped one of the cups out of my hand, spilling hot coffee all over me.

I flinched, and dropped the second cup, as I tried not to scream. I wasn't going to give her the satisfaction.

"What is going on here?" someone asked from behind her. Oh, great. Even better.

"Professor H!" Bianca exclaimed when she turned around to see Hunt. "I... um... Rachel tried to spill hot coffee over me. She's so violent!"

Hunt crossed his arms. "Get out of here, Bianca. I don't want to have to be part of yet another hearing anytime soon."

Bianca rolled her eyes but did as she was told. Hunt looked at me sternly, his arms still crossed, causing the fabric of his jacket to strain around his broad shoulders.

"I swear, I didn't do anything," I defended myself.

"I saw," he said, his eyes softening. "Are you all right? Hot liquids can do quite some damage."

"Like you care," I scoffed. "But, yes, I think my coat took most of it."

"Show me your hand," Hunt ordered. I held my hand up. It hurt like a bitch, but I didn't think it was too bad. It was a little red, but that was about it. "You should cool this."

"What I should be doing is get two new coffees so Simon and I can start working on that bullshit project you assigned us," I said angrily.

Hunt raised an eyebrow. "I've got to hand it to you, you don't give up easily. I would have thought you would just ignore this project the second you realised how hopeless it was."

"I wouldn't give up. Not if trying means there's a chance I get to stick it to you," I said and turned to walk back into the coffee shop. I almost expected a snarky response from Hunt, but when I looked back, he was already gone. What a strange man he was.


	5. Garbage to Gold

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rachel and Simon actually get stuff done... but then some problems arise...

About twenty minutes later, I was back at the library.

"What took you so long?" Simon asked.

I frowned. "Bianca. Then Hunt."

"I'm just... not going to ask."

"Good," I said and put his latte down in front of him. "Now, any ideas how we turn this into something that isn't terrible?"

He slid the script towards me. "Have a look."

I did as he said, reading through the entire twenty pages, realising just how terrible the whole thing was. It was what I'd call, for lack of a better word, biblical fan fiction. A story about Eve and... the apple. As in a romance between them. And, no, the apple wasn't human. It was just a sentient apple with a penis.

Looking at Simon's notes, there weren't many useful ones. Most of them just said _wtf_ , _this is garbage_ or _please kill me_. Understandable.

"How much do you reckon we're allowed to change?" I asked. The task wasn't to write an entirely new story. We were supposed to fix the one that was already there. But what did that really mean?

Simon shrugged. "Honestly, looking at this thing, we'll _have to_ change almost everything."

"Yeah," I sighed. He was completely right. I buried my face in my hands. It was hopeless. But we weren't going to give up. "All right, let's the determine the biggest issue here."

"How about... everything?" Simon suggested.

I groaned. "But what's the absolute worst thing about it? Apart from the atrociously written dialogue, obviously. Personally, I'm really not feeling the whole apple-slash-human romance."

"But that is the entire story, Rachel," Simon sighed.

"Is it, though? Let's consider what whoever wrote this was going for but miserably failed at," I countered.

There had to be something. A theme in there, somewhere. A motivation behind writing this. The allure of the forbidden, maybe?

"What if we made the apple into a man?" Simon suggested. "We could keep the romance and make it less... well, weird. Also, we would save a lot on effects. I'm pretty sure we don't have the budget for a non-terrible CGI apple monster."

"And the snake could be another woman who wants Adam and that's why she wants Eve with apple-boy," I added.

We brainstormed for a couple more hours, creating and scrapping new concepts until we finally settled on one just before the library was about to close.

"So, we set it in modern times. Eve is a deeply religious woman, married to Adam, who is perfect for her -- at least on paper," Simon repeated to make sure we agreed on everything.

"Exactly. Cue our antagonist, Linda. Madly in love with Adam, but knows he would never betray his wife if she didn't break his trust first. And, lucky for her, Eve already has a thing for the priest, Pomeroy," I added.

"It has everything. Still related to Christianity? Check. Forbidden love? Check. A not-completely-weird story? Also check. I'll have a draft by tomorrow morning," Simon said with a grin. "You take care of finding us some actors, will you?"

I nodded enthusiastically. "Absolutely."

This had gone much better than I'd expected. Sure, this film would not be a masterpiece. But it wouldn't be the piece of shit it would've been had we not changed anything about the script.

Just as we were about to pack our things up, the librarian walked up to as to inform us we would have to be out in the next ten minutes. Perfect timing.

Simon and I hugged goodbye, both proud of what we'd already accomplished, and went back to our dorms. A couple of hours earlier, I hadn't thought I would get any sleep. But now, I slept like a baby.

In the morning, I made my way to the common room of my dorm. After all, this was the actors' dorm so I was bound to find some actors around here, right? We'd already decided that, after we already worked together to fix the script, we would both be acting in the film. Simon would be Adam, as he didn't feel comfortable playing the male lead, and I would be Eve. So we were still looking for two more actors that were willing to work for free.

The common room was packed, but I didn't have a lot of luck. Most students were, unsurprisingly, busy with their own projects. After asking about ten to fifteen people, I slumped down on a sofa, feeling defeated. Another impossible task. Maybe I could ask Ethan if he knew anyone.

Just as I got my phone out to call him, someone sat down next to me. It was a girl that I knew I'd seen before but had never talked to.

"Rachel, right?" she said.

I nodded. "And you are?"

"Kimia. I live in the room right next to yours," she replied with a smile. "So you're looking for actors for Hunt's project, eh?"

"I definitely did not mention him." That would not have done me any good, for sure. After all, it wasn't a secret that he didn't like me very much. I knew word of how I'd acted during the first lecture had gotten out, and I figured if people knew the project was going to be graded by him... well, let's just say, no one wanted to get on his bad side. Though, if I was to believe him, I hadn't seen his bad side yet.

"You didn't have to. Your partner complained to one of his friends about the project and, well, people talk," she said.

I groaned. "Great. So I'm never gonna find someone."

"Well, I am an actress, you know?" she said with a shrug. "And I happen to be free today. And tomorrow, too."

I looked at her in surprise. "You would really help me?"

"I remember being a freshman," she chuckled lightly. "It's hard, I know. You don't really know anyone, but you still need people to help you out. I had someone do something like this for me back then. Maybe you can carry on this tradition for me if I help?"

A grin spread across my face. "Absolutely. Thank you so much, Kimia."

I told her about the project, and that I would completely understand if she changed her mind after hearing what exactly it was. She didn't, though. In fact, she offered to help even more.

"So you still need someone to play the romantic interest? I may know someone..."

"You really don't have to," I said, hoping she wouldn't let me change her mind.

"Oh, it's nothing. He'd love something like this, anyway. He's a sucker for romance. Come on."

Kimia led me into the dorm right next to ours, where she knocked on one of the doors. A gorgeous blond guy with mesmerizing blue eyes opened it. I could immediately see him as our Pomeroy. We needed him.

"Hey, Elric. You busy?" Kimia asked.

He squinted at her. "Why do I feel like you're about to ask me for a favour?"

"Not a favour," she said as she walked past him, taking my hand to pull me with her. "This is an opportunity."

"An opportunity, huh? Sounds like you want my help to me," he said, arms crossed.

Kimia rolled her eyes. "Elric, this is Rachel. Rachel, this is Elric."

"Nice to meet you, Rachel," Elric said. "I'm guessing you have something to do with this _opportunity_?"

I bit my lip. "Well, yeah. I have this project and I kinda sorta need a male lead."

He looked at Kimia. "So, a favour. Got it." Then he turned back to me. "I'm listening, though. Tell me about this project of yours."

So I, once again, explained everything.

Elric pondered it for a while. "You know, I understand your struggle. Hunt hated me back when I first came here, too."

Hope sparked inside of me. "Hated? Past tense? So it is possible to overcome that?"

He let out a chuckle. "Sorry, I don't think so. He just doesn't teach any of my classes anymore."

"Oh." Damn it. That was bad news. After all, he would be one of the professors making the decision of whether I'd be expelled or not.

"What I'm saying is that I'll do it. From what you told me, this film doesn't sound too terrible. And who am I to deny a gorgeous woman like yourself a simple request like this?"

I blushed at the last part -- clearly, he had the romantic lead part down to a T -- but quickly composed myself. "Great. I'm gonna go meet with our screenwriter and text you the details?" They agreed and we exchanged numbers.

A couple of minutes later, I was at the Writers' dorm. I'd already messaged Simon a couple of times, but he hadn't responded yet. The idiot was probably still asleep. Unfortunately, I didn't know his room number or I would have gone in and knocked the crap out of his door. Maybe someone else could help me, though.

I quickly called Ethan, who answered his phone almost immediately.

"If it isn't my favourite client. What you up to, Rachel?"

"You're good at finding out stuff about people, right?" I said without even greeting him. He didn't seem to mind.

"Yes, that's my--"

"That's your job, yeah, yeah. So there's this guy in my Hollywood 101 class and I need to find out the number of his dorm room. Like, right now."

Ethan didn't even ask why. He was on it immediately. After I gave him all the information he needed, he told me he'd text me soon.

Soon was about five minutes later. _Very well_ , I thought, _let's see if he really is that good at his job_.

He was. I knocked on the door of the room that was supposedly Simon's. After knocking multiple times, very loudly, a tired Simon opened the door.

"Rachel? What are you doing here?" he asked, sounding like he just got up.

"I'm here for the script," I simply said. "You said you'd have it done by this morning?"

"Oh shit," he said. "I... think we have a problem."


	6. Lenience

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It was finally time to make this short film a reality! But things did not go as smoothly as Rachel had hoped...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally, we get a little bit of Hunt. I promise there will be more of him soon... also, I know this chapter is short, but there's going to be another one later today.

"Please tell me you didn't forget to write our script," I said as I tried to keep myself from panicking. Surely, he was just messing with me... right?

Simon slumped his shoulders. "I'm... I'm sorry, Rachel. My friends asked me to go out with them and when we were at Blitz we met those girls and... it got late... I... I'm so sorry. How can I fix this?"

"You can't. We _need to_ start filming today, Simon. I have this other thing tomorrow afternoon and I--" It didn't take me long to put one and one together. "Was one of the girls' names Bianca by chance?"

"Yeah, how did you know?" he asked, surprised.

I groaned. Of course, she would try to ruin my first assignment as well. "She's the one trying to get me kicked out."

"Oh my God. I knew it was too good to be true. I... I'll get started on the script right away," he said, about to shut the door.

"No. You're hungover and there's no way you'd make it in time. Not even if you were sober. We'll do it together," I said and walked into his room. It was far messier than mine, but I didn't really care.

We quickly thought up some scenes and started writing them -- Simon typing up his scenes on his laptop while I jotted them down by hand. About three hours later, we had a somewhat decent screenplay in our hands. I quickly typed my scenes on the computer as well while Simon got ready for the day. As we hurried to the copy shop down the street, I texted Kimia and Elric to meet us at the university's filming studio.

As soon as we had the copies, we went there as well. Once we got there, we got started immediately. Luckily, Simon had at least remembered to block one of the sets for us for the afternoon.

Elric, Kimia and I rehearsed our lines while Simon, whose character wouldn't appear, let alone speak, very often in the film, went to work on setting up our set.

After all the trouble in the morning, things started to run smoothly. When we were asked to leave the studio in the evening, we all agreed that we'd done a great job. There were only two short scenes left to shoot, and we were determined to finish them the next morning before class.

To no one's surprise, that didn't work out as well as we'd hoped. When we went back to the studio in the morning, it was completely booked. Simon assured me he'd taken care of it, but after he'd already let me down with the script, I wasn't very inclined to believe him. At least not until a guy with early-Justin-Bieber hair and an unbuttoned shirt walked out. Lance Sergio, Bianca's boyfriend and one of her lackeys.

"You know what, Simon? I believe you," I said, turned away from him and walked up to Lance.

"Rachel? What are you doing here? Bianca said... oh, no, I'm not supposed to tell you."

I raised an eyebrow. "Lance, where is Bianca?"

"I'm not supposed to tell you that, either," he said. "At least I think that's what she said."

Rolling my eyes, I pushed past him. "Fine, I'm going to find her myself."

"Not in there," Lance said.

Confused, I looked at him again. "She's not in there? Isn't she the one who booked every set in the studio?"

"She _booked_ it all, but she's not actually in there, idiot."

I narrowed my eyes. "Then who _is_ in there?" I didn't have to wait for his answer, though. I already knew as soon as I'd finished the question.

Lance blushed. "Well... um..."

Turning back to Simon and the others, I said, "Come on, guys. No one's in there. Let's finish this thing."

They followed me inside as Lance protested, "You can't do that! Bianca has booked the studio. You can't. It's against the rules!"

"Go tell Bianca if it'll make you feel better," I said. "She's not gonna be here before we finish, anyway."

"He's not entirely wrong, though," Kimia said. "If someone finds us in here, we're kinda toast."

"Then let's finish this thing quickly," I replied.

And that's what we did. We finished both scenes in just one take each. Being at a university as exclusive as this one did pay off, even if the tuition was absolutely insane. You were always surrounded by talent.

"And, that's a wrap!" Simon shouted, then turned to me. "Congrats, Rachel. The hardest part is over."

"Not so fast," a familiar voice said from behind us. That voice that made me feel some type of way even though I didn't understand why. It belonged to Thomas Hunt. "The hardest part, I would assume, is just beginning."

"What do you mean?" Simon asked.

Hunt ignored him and turned right to me. "Miss Fields. When Mr Sergio told me about a student breaking rules, I had no doubt in my mind you would have something to do with it."

"We were just doing the stupid project you--"

"Do not make this worse for yourself. You're here even though another student had booked the studio. Do you not understand why this system is in place?"

"Bianca just wanted to keep me from finishing the project! She already distracted Simon, and now--"

Hunt cut me off again. "You're a bit self-absorbed, don't you think? Miss Stone had her own film to work on."

"But she wasn't here! And she definitely wouldn't have needed the entire studio!" I replied, frustrated. How did he not see this? He'd witnessed how mean Bianca was at the coffee shop. Was it really that hard to believe she did this, too?

"I don't want to hear it. Pack your things and get out of here."

I was pissed but very aware that he didn't mention any further consequences. We packed up all of our stuff and made our way to the exit.

"And, Miss Fields?" Hunt called after me. "Next time, I won't be so lenient."

I scanned his face, looking for any hint of sympathy, but he wore the same grumpy expression that seemed to be carved on his face as if he was a statue. "Thank you," I said quietly.

For just a moment, I saw something in his eyes. Perhaps it was surprise at the fact that I hadn't reacted with a snarky reply.

"That was... intense," Elric said as soon as we were out the door.

Kimia nodded. "I'd say it's very Hunt-typical, but he really does seem to have a grudge against you, Rachel."

"He didn't even acknowledge any of us!" Simon added. "Not that I'm not grateful for that, but it did seem a little unfair to you."

I sighed. "I guess he thought I was behind it. You know, going in there even though we weren't meant to. And, well, he was right. It was my idea."

"We all agreed, though," Kimia said. "We could've just left. We were all in it, and he put all of the blame on you."

"At least we finished before he came in," Simon shrugged. "And he let us off with a warning so we can get right to editing this puppy."

"After class," I said. "Hunt's class."

"Don't you guys worry about that," Kimia chimed in. "I know a guy who knows a lot about editing and stuff. I'm sure I can get him to help out."

"You sure know a lot of people," I said, an eyebrow raised. "And somehow, everyone's willing to help."

Kimia chuckled. "Well, a lot of people owe me favours."

"Am I one of them now?" I asked. She didn't tell me she'd want something in return before, but I wouldn't have minded if she told me I was now indebted to her. I already felt like I was.

"No, you're a freshman who needed my help. The only thing you owe, not me, but to this school is carrying on this tradition of helping," she said.

I handed her the flash drive with our footage on it. "Thank you."

"No problem. Now, get to class, you two. Wouldn't want you to piss off your favourite professor even more, right?"

After saying goodbye to the two, Simon and I hurried to the theatre.


	7. Video Valentine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rachel's first of three high-profile projects... how will that go?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoops, I thought I'd finish another chapter yesterday but... oh well. Sorry. I'm just not gonna make promises like that anymore because life is a bitch. Aaaaanyway, another chapter. With some Hunt! Yay!

Not long after Simon and I got to the theatre, Hunt strolled onto the stage. He scanned the crowd, seemingly looking for someone. His eyes landed on me, and he shot me a glare.

"Hard work is imperative if you want to make it in Hollywood," he started. "But that's not always enough. Sometimes, you're going to face obstacles you didn't expect."

"Is he talking about us?" Simon whispered. I was certain that he was, even though he was no longer looking at us -- or, more specifically, me.

"Sometimes these obstacles were put in your way by more powerful people," Hunt continued. "You will have to be smart about overcoming them. Do not play into their hands."

Then it hit me. Bianca wasn't stupid, I knew that. So why would she have left Lance at the studio to make sure we wouldn't go in? She wouldn't have. It had never been her plan to keep us out. It had been her plan to get us in trouble.

As I looked up again, Hunt's piercing eyes were looking right at me. I nodded, showing him that I understood.

"Very well," he said. "You all were given a project to complete until tomorrow. As it is customary for the first freshman projects, we will be holding an award show, where you will present the finished product, in the evening. There will be no class in the morning."

Everyone started whispering. Most of us hadn't expected this. We didn't just have to hand our projects in. We had to show them in front of everyone.

"Are you as nervous as I am right now?" Simon asked.

I nodded. "Probably even more."

"Doubtful."

Hunt stood on the stage, arms crossed, clearly waiting for us to quiet down. When we finally did, he continued the lecture. We got some general advice on how to dress and act at award shows -- with a heavy dose of insults and mentions of how much he despised the entire concept -- and a lesson on the history of them. All in all, it was a rather interesting two hours. But, to be completely honest, Hunt's lectures always were. Even if we had to endure being called imbeciles every couple of minutes.

After the lecture was over, I was going to head straight for the Sheridan Hotel, where Lisa Valentine's music video was to be filmed. But, alas, Hunt had other plans. As I was walking to the exit, he called my name. I closed my eyes and sighed. So this wasn't over, after all. There would be consequences. I was just hoping it wouldn't affect the others involved, too.

"Good luck," Simon whispered. "Tell me what he said later, okay?"

I nodded and made my way to the stage, where Hunt was casually sitting on the edge. "Miss Fields. Good to see that, at least this time, you didn't disobey."

"Oh, I was going to, but I don't want to make things worse for anyone else involved," I replied defiantly.

"You're acting like a child," Hunt stated. He was right. "Your friends are not in trouble. You are."

"I will be," I countered. "If I don't get out of here soon. I have a shoot to get to."

Hunt looked at me quizzically. "Haven't you finished your film this morning?"

"Three high-profile projects, remember? Or did you already forget about the requirements _you_ set?"

"I did not." He looked at me, shaking his head in surprise. "I did not expect you to start so soon."

"Well, you might find you underestimated me."

His face hardened. The scowl had returned. "We will see. For now, you're still on probation. That's why I wanted to speak with you. If you continue to disregard this university's rules, you may find yourself expelled even before your next hearing."

I swallowed hard. I knew I was on thin ice, and I'd decided to ignore it just to make sure we'd finish our project. It was an attempt to make Hunt hate me less. I'd rationalised it -- Hunt was on the board, so if he hated me, that would be a disadvantage. But it wasn't the only thing I needed to think of -- no more missteps. No breaking the rules. No bad grades in general.

Maybe it wasn't at all about my expulsion. Maybe I just wanted the great Thomas Hunt's approval. After all, as I'd learnt, he was not only a model and a director but also a writer, an actor and the youngest person to ever win the Best Director award. His stamp of approval didn't only matter at the university. It mattered everywhere. Maybe that was it.

"Yeah, yeah. Playing by the rules, I get it. Can I go now? After all, even being on time is considered late in Hollywood, right?"

The hint of a smile tugged at the corners of Hunt's lips. He did his best to hide it. "Fine. I hope you and your little film won't embarrass me tomorrow."

"So do I," I said quietly as I walked away.

Approximately fifteen minutes later, a cab dropped me off at the Sheridan Hotel. I was still on time, but barely. Kelsey was standing outside, apparently waiting for me.

"Rachel, there you are," she said. "Finally! Where have you been?"

"Hunt," I simply said, and she understood.

"Come on now. We gotta get you upstairs."

Kelsey led me to an elevator, where she pushed the button for the penthouse.

"This is where Aria Sheridan lives. She was Lisa's co-star in Lisa Mermaid. They're not besties anymore, but she was willing to help, anyway," Kelsey told me. Then she started explaining more about the concept to me. I nodded along as I processed all of the information.

"Oh, and, one more thing: whatever you do, _don't_ mention Lisa Mermaid to Lisa," she said before we exited the elevator. "She hates that that's the first thing people think of when they hear her name."

"Got it," I said, completely understanding where she was coming from. I would hate for people to only see me as a character I once played. "No mermaid talk."

Kelsey unlocked a door with a keycard, and we walked into a luxurious penthouse suite, where a whole team of people were setting things up. Cameras, lights, everything. In that moment, I realised I was in way over my head. I'd never actually been part of a professional production before. Even if this was just a music video... it was big.

"You must be Rachel!" a young woman in expensive-looking designer clothes said as she came up to me, then swept me into a hug. "I'm Aria. I was just on my way out, but I've gotta say... Kelsey knows what she's doing. Lisa's going to love making out with you. Anyone would, really."

I blushed. "Well, I--"

Before I could say anything, Aria had disappeared into the elevator.

"Come on," Kelsey said. "Let's get you to make-up."

In less than ten minutes, Marina, a make-up artist that had graduated from Hollywood U just last year, and Melanie, a fashion student working in wardrobe for this project, had transformed me into a punk-rock chick. Surprisingly, I actually loved the look.

When I returned to the living room, a pink-haired girl was sitting on the couch. Lisa Valentine. Someone whispered something to her, and she turned to me. Looking me up and down, a grin spread across her face.

"So, you're my partner for this, huh?" she said as she got up, walking up to me. "Not bad. I'm Lisa."

I was going to extend my hand for her to shake, but I realised my hands were sweating like crazy. No wonder -- I was nervous. Very nervous. How did I end up here?

Lisa chuckled. "You seem a bit tense."

"I... kind of am. I've never... I'm very new to all of this," I said, gesturing around the room. "My name's Rachel. I... I'm an acting student."

"Well, Rachel, we were all new to this once. You're going to be just fine. Especially here. Just have fun, okay?"

I nodded. "Sure. Fun. Got it."

"All right, everyone," Keith's voice cut through the air. "We're about to start. Rachel, Lisa. I want you both outside. Kelsey will be with you and give you a sign when to come in."

"Time to get going," Lisa said. "Don't worry. I'm right with you."

Kelsey led us outside and quickly explained what we'll be doing. "You've just come from downstairs. You met at the bar, where the two of you started making out. You're on your way up here to have sex. We'll be filming the bar scenes later tonight, after most of the patrons have left. Lisa, you'll pick Rachel up and lay her down on the couch."

"You ready?" Lisa asked. I nodded.

Kelsey gave us a thumbs up, and the two of us burst into the room, making out heavily. It was weird, doing so as a whole bunch of people were watching us. It wasn't as hot and sexy as a make-out sesh normally was. Nonetheless, I tried my best to make it look that way. I kissed Lisa like there was no tomorrow, and by the time she'd put me down on the couch, we were both out of breath.

"Cut!" Keith yelled and walked up to us. "That was... pretty hot. I think we've got this one. Still, one more take won't hurt. From the top."

After my initial hesitation, things went quite well. We got through every scene with very few takes. Even the scenes, which required a couple more people, were shot and done very quickly. But even so, we were busy until three or four in the morning. The footage we got was worth it, though. It looked amazing. There was no doubt in my mind that this music video would be a success.

Back at my dorm, I immediately fell asleep. It had been a long day -- at least I didn't have a Hollywood 101 class the next morning.


	8. The Dress

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It was the day of the Freshman Award Show... but there were still things to take care of.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was hella busy lately so I didn't get to write as much. Sorry.

I woke up surprisingly early the next day -- most likely from the excitement. In the evening, Simon and I would have to show our film at the university's yearly Freshman Award Show. Right. The film. I didn't know if Kimia had any morning classes on Fridays, but I texted her to ask whether the film was finished nonetheless. I got a reply almost immediately.

_Head over to Director dorm 2 and ask for Louis. He should have it ready for you. Good luck tonight :)_

I quickly thanked her for all her help and got dressed. As I went through my clothes, I realised I would have to do some shopping later today because I had absolutely nothing to wear that would be appropriate for an award show. Not even if it was just a university show.

When I got to Louis' dorm, he insisted on showing me the finished product to see if there was anything I'd want to be changed. He was a total sweetheart and also very talented. So was everyone else who'd worked on the film. Even though our source material was absolutely terrible, it looked great. It was a good short film. Not even Thomas Hunt would be able to deny that... would he? He probably would. Still, I was proud of it and I couldn't wait until we'd finally get to show it.

After picking up our film, I called up Addison. I hadn't talked to her in a while -- been much too busy -- but she immediately agreed to help when I asked her if she wanted to go shopping for an award show dress with me. Not much later, we met up at a street with endless fancy boutiques.

"This," Addison said, "is where you go shopping for big events. I hope you brought your credit card because this is going to be expensive."

I'd expected as much. "Let's get going."

We entered the first boutique, where I tried on multiple outfits... but none of them were quite right. After the same thing happened in multiple other stores, Addison became a little impatient.

"All of these dresses were beautiful, Rachel. It's not like this is an actual award show that'll be broadcasted on television, you know? I love shopping as much as the next gal, but... even I'm getting tired," she sighed.

I completely understood. I had been pretty nit-picky. This skirt is too long, that neckline too low, this colour too bright, that pattern a no-go. And I knew exactly why I was like this.

_"I hope you and your little film won't embarrass me tomorrow."_

I sat down on a bench outside the last boutique we'd been in. "I'm sorry, Addison. If you want to, you can go. I'm sure I can do this by myself."

"No, I'll stay," she said as she sat down next to me. "If you'll tell me what's wrong."

I let out a sigh. "It's just... I really, really want to... well... I kind of..."

"Spit it out, Rachel."

"I want to impress Hunt," I said and looked at the ground.

Addison chuckled. "Wait, do you have a crush on him? I know he's attractive, but--"

"God, no!" I said, looking at her in shock. How could she even ask something like that?

She chuckled again. "Well, if you say so. What is it then?"

"He's this..." I paused as I tried to find the right words. "He's kind of a legend. His approval... it would mean so much."

Addison looked into the distance for a bit, probably thinking I was an idiot. "All right," she said after a bit. "One last stop. If you don't find what you're looking for there, then I don't think I can help you."

She grabbed my hand and pulled me with her. We walked for about half an hour until we stood in front of a building that did not exactly look like we'd get anything like what I wanted in there. "Are you sure we're in the right place?"

"Yup," Addison said and pushed the door open to reveal someone's design and sewing studio. Beautiful pieces of clothing -- both finished and unfinished -- were on mannequins all over the room.

A young woman appeared from behind one of them. She couldn't have been much older than us.

"Addison," she said with a smile and pulled her into a hug. "And you brought a friend?"

"A customer, actually," she said. "This is Rachel. She needs a dress for the Freshman Award Show tonight."

The woman grinned. "Oh, I know exactly what you need. Come with me." As I followed her, she added, "By the way, I'm Nisha."

We stopped in front of a mannequin wearing a gorgeous gold dress. It was short, but not too short. The neckline wasn't too revealing but also not too conservative. The wrapping and pleating on the dress were immaculately done and the straps were made of what seemed a million gold threads.

"This... this is beautiful," I said in awe.

"Thank you," Nisha said. "And it should fit you. Should you want it. It's one-of-a-kind. Like all my creations."

I sighed. "I'm quite certain I can't afford something like that."

Nisha and Addison, who had followed us, exchanged a look. Addison nodded. I had no idea what was going on.

"You can wear it for the night. Addison and I have been friends for so long," Nisha said. "But if you rip it or spill anything on it, you'll pay the full price."

I couldn't believe it. "Really?"

"Really," they both said.

"Thank you so, so much, Nisha," I said. "I owe you big time."

Nisha took the dress off the mannequin and put it in a garment bag. "Just give it back to me intact tomorrow morning and we're good."

I thanked her once more before Addison and I left.

"I knew she would have just the right thing," Addison said with a smile. "I don't know why I didn't think of her earlier."

When we got back to campus, I asked her if she wanted to see what the dress looked like on, but she declined, saying she still had to finish her own dress. I'd completely forgotten that she, too, was in Hunt's class and would have to present her project as well. She'd worked with Hannah, an aspiring model, on a photoshoot. At least that meant we wouldn't be competing with each other as there were different awards for different categories.

Time went by slowly after that. The anticipation killed me. I wanted to get to the theatre now. I wanted to show the film. I wanted to see Hunt's reaction -- both to the film and to the dress. Would he approve of either?

When the time came, I slipped into the dress. I couldn't deny that I looked beautiful in it. It fit me just right. It was quite literally perfect.


	9. Irrelevant

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It was the night of the Freshman Award Show... how will that go?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh God. Oh Gooooood. This one has quite a bit more Hunt in it. Is that a good thing, though?

As I walked up to the theatre, Simon right behind me, I couldn't help feeling nervous. I had every reason to be. I knew Hunt would be overly critical of our film -- because I'd worked on it. Sure, I was worried about my grade and all, but more than that, I was worried about Simon's. Even though he'd fucked up a bit when he didn't finish the script on time, he didn't deserve this. If Hunt was going to insist on giving us a bad grade, I would do everything in my power to fight it.

"You ready?" Simon asked. He was looking quite dapper in his suit and bowtie -- it was very different from his casual hipster attire.

I took a deep breath. "As ready as I can be."

He took my hand, squeezed it, and then pushed open the doors. We weren't the last to arrive, but there were already a lot of people there. I soon realised that it wasn't only our class -- there were professors, other students, and even people I had never seen on campus before.

"Fuck," I whispered under my breath. Yes, I wanted to be an actress. I knew things like this would be part of my life. But this... I'd just come here. I was just a college student, just starting out... it was a little too much. I let go of Simon's hand. "I'm... I'm gonna go outside for another minute. Get us some good seats, okay?"

I didn't let him answer before I stormed out. When I was finally outside again, I heard footsteps behind me. Thinking it was Simon, I spun around and snapped, "Didn't I tell you to get us some seats? I swear, I--" My words got caught in my throat once I realised it wasn't Simon at all.

"A little irritable tonight, are we?" the man in front of me said. Professor Hunt.

I swallowed hard. "Just... the nerves."

He raised an eyebrow. "I must say, you did not strike me as the type to get nervous."

"That's because you don't know me at all," I replied, rolling my eyes as I turned back around to walk away from him.

I didn't think he'd say any more, much less follow me, but that was exactly what he did. "You made it seem like you believed in what you created. Is that no longer true?"

"No, it is..."

I sat down on a bench while Hunt somewhat awkwardly stood in front of me. "Then you have no reason to be nervous. Get back inside before anyone notices--"

"I do have a reason! Just because I think I did a good job doesn't mean others will, too," I interrupted him.

He shook his head, scowling. "And now you care what the general public thinks? You truly manage to fall below my expectations every time."

Hunt had already turned away and was starting to walk back to the theatre when I, once again without thinking things through, jumped up and said, "I care about _your_ opinion."

He stopped dead in his tracks. I could tell he hadn't expected me to say that. Once he was facing me again, he finally spoke. It was only a single word. "What?"

"I just mean... I need good grades if I don't want to get... expelled. And I... I can't have you, a member of the board, hate me," I stuttered.

He let out a low, humourless chuckle. "I do not hate you, Miss Fields," he said, taking a load off my mind... only to pile it back on seconds later. "You're far too irrelevant to me."

I felt like someone had punched me in the chest. Irrelevant. Somehow that was a thousand times worse. I just stood there, opening and closing my mouth with no words coming out. There was nothing I could say. No witty comeback. No sassy remark. _Irrelevant._

Hunt was about to say something else, but I couldn't bear to hear it. I pushed past him and went back inside. I'd hoped a bit of fresh air would help me calm my nerves, but, of course, someone just had to come and ruin it. Fucking Hunt.

"Is everything all right?" Addison, who was standing by the entrance, asked me as I walked past her.

I quickly nodded, not wanting to talk about it, and looked for Simon. He was sitting in the second row with a bunch of other students from our class.

He, too, asked me if I was okay, which I told him I was. I didn't talk to anyone else after that. I just sat there, staring at nothing in particular, hoping this nightmare would be over soon. But it was far from it. The ceremony hadn't even begun yet. How would I possibly survive this night?

Not long after I'd sat down, Professor Hunt stepped on stage. I tried my best not to look away, but I couldn't help it. His words kept playing in my mind. _You're far too irrelevant to me. Irrelevant. Irrelevant._

I honestly didn't know why I cared so much. He was a great director, so what? There were a million others out there. Out of all of them, why was it his opinion that mattered to me the most? Just because he was the youngest director to ever win a stupid award? Just because he was talented in many different areas? It was idiotic, really. What should have been important was the fact that he said he didn't hate me. I shouldn't have cared about anything else.

I took a deep breath, straightened up and looked at the stage, watching him move around as he announced the first category. Oh, but I did care. With every second I watched him, I became angrier. By the time Hunt announced the script-fixer category, I was livid.

"And now... we see the last contestant of this category. Simon Ortega and Rachel Fields," Professor Hunt said and stepped aside

Simon and I walked onstage together. We'd carefully planned everything out beforehand. Who would talk when, what we would say... but at that point, I didn't give a shit anymore. Simon was on his way to the mic, but I got there faster and grabbed it.

"Remember how Professor Hunt said he wouldn't assign us a project for this so we wouldn't blame him if it turned out terrible?" I began and Simon immediately tried to take the mic from me. "Well, guess what, we had the displeasure of getting our assignment from him personally. Now, I am proud of what we made of it, but I'd just like to say--"

I couldn't finish. Hunt had come back to the centre of the stage and ripped the microphone right out of my hand. "That's quite enough, Miss Fields," he said to me, keeping one of his hands on the mic so the entire audience wouldn't hear. "What do you think you are doing? Are you _trying_ to get expelled?"

I shrugged and Hunt just shook his head, disappointed. Then he handed the mic to Simon, who was clearly taken aback by the entire situation. He quickly composed himself, though.

"What Rachel was trying to say... it wasn't easy to turn the script we've been given into a good short film, but we're proud of the finished product. I hope you enjoy it, too."

Simon walked off the stage as the film started playing, and I was about to follow him when Hunt pulled me aside. He led me to a small office space, where he, as soon as he'd shut the door, started yelling at me.

"Are you completely out of your mind?"

Refusing to look at him, I just shrugged my shoulders.

"Did I not tell you not to embarrass me?"

"Why would I care if I embarrassed you?" I huffed. "Maybe you're irrelevant to me, too."

He sighed. "Is that what this is about?"

Once again, I shrugged.

"Miss Fields, that was not personal. You're simply a student. I have no reason to hate you. Strongly dislike you, especially after what just happened, yes. All I meant was that you should stop flattering yourself by thinking I care enough to hate you."

I rolled my eyes. "Whatever you say, Professor."

After a few seconds of silence, I looked up. Hunt was looking out of a window, seemingly deep in thought. I only just now realised that he hadn't turned on the lights when we came inside. The only source of light was the faint glimmer of the moon shining in through the window, illuminating Hunt's face.

It was then that I realised why I cared so much. Taking in his jawline, so sharp I was afraid it would cut me if I touched it, the depths of his eyes, the little creases on his forehead, the shape of his lips... it was exactly what I'd told myself wouldn't happen when I first saw him at that hearing. Exactly what I'd denied when Addison had asked me earlier today. I had developed a crush on my professor -- and out of all the professors it could have been, it just had to be Thomas fucking Hunt.

"I'm sorry," I whispered when he still hasn't said a word. He turned to look at me. I added, "I really fucked up, didn't I?"

I scanned his face as he looked at me, trying to figure out what he was thinking. Once again, I couldn't read him. His scowl hid everything. After what seemed like an eternity, he said, "It seems your film has ended. You should get back to your partner."

Before I could even say anything, he'd walked out the door. After gathering my thoughts, I followed him. He was right, the film had ended. When I entered the theatre hall again, I was met with applause. At least people had liked it. I looked at the stage, where Hunt was already standing again. And, all of a sudden, I realised that he hadn't even seen our film. How could he possibly take it into consideration when choosing a winner when he hadn't even seen it?

I made my way back to my seat, where an angry Simon was already waiting for me. I didn't want to face him but didn't have much of a choice. Damn it.


	10. And The Winner Is...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The award show was about to end... who's going to win? And will Rachel's behaviour have consequences for her and her partner?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oof. It's been a while. But I do love this story and I'm back now! Also, yeah, I know this is short. But I wanted to get a chapter out ASAP.

Simon was livid. Before I could even sit down, he'd already started scream-whispering at me. "How could you? You've ruined every chance we had at winning. Or even getting a passing grade!"

The people around us gave us nasty looks as Professor Hunt returned to the microphone and began talking again.

"Let's talk about this after. Please," I whispered.

He clearly wasn't pleased but probably realised he didn't have a choice so he simply nodded as Hunt explained he and some other professors would take some time to judge the projects and announce the winners after a short break.

Damn it. Here I thought I'd have some time to figure out exactly what I would tell Simon. But the lights already came back up and most people went outside for fresh air or mingled with their friends. Simon turned to me.

"So? Talk," he demanded, arms crossed.

"Hunt was being a dick. Besides, what I said wasn't wrong, was it? He's had it for me from the start," I replied.

He slumped his shoulders. "I know. It's just... after things had all worked out... I thought we might have a shot."

"I don't think we ever did," I said. "He hates me." As soon as I'd said the words, I realised that I was wrong. He didn't hate me. He'd said so himself. Maybe he would have given us a fair shot. But I ruined that. I made sure we wouldn't even be considered. "I'm sorry, Simon. It's all my fault. I... I'm going to try to talk to him. We may not win, but I don't want your grades to suffer because of me."

"Thank you," he said. "I'm going to go get some air."

Simon left as I stayed in place, sitting there, asking myself why I seemed to be incapable of doing things right around here. Maybe I truly wasn't meant for this.

I was still lost in thought when the seats around me filled up again and Hunt went back onstage to announce the winners.

"Tonight’s projects each stood out in their own way… some for better reasons than others… Most of you didn't completely humiliate yourselves. And so, you survive my course for another day. But let’s not drag this out. As you all know, I believe Award Shows are the scourge of Hollywood."

Category after category, Professor Hunt announced the winners. I didn't pay too much attention, I simply clapped whenever everyone else clapped, and I clapped a little louder when I heard Addison's name. Then, finally, he got to our category. I knew he wasn't going to call our names. I simply wanted to know what he had to say about the contestants.

"This category was one of the hardest -- both for the students and the judges -- but we've made a decision. The winners are Stella Hutcherson and Marie Ferdinand."

Most people started clapping. Simon didn't. He simply sat there, defeated. I apologised, once again, and hoped he would forgive me.

When the show was over, and people started leaving, I saw Professor Hunt disappear behind the curtain again. Without giving it too much thought, I followed him backstage. He'd said the rest of us would find out if we passed on Monday, but I needed to know now.

"What are you doing here?" Hunt asked, seemingly knowing who was behind him without even turning around. "Please do not tell me you're here to beg. The winners have been chosen."

I rolled my eyes. "I don't _beg_."

He turned to me, arms crossed. "Then why are you here? I don't have the patience to deal with you."

"I just wanted to make sure that... I mean... I just wanted to ask you not to punish Simon for my mistakes. I fully understand if you're giving me a bad grade, but he doesn't deserve that."

"Grades will be--"

"Given out on Monday, I know," I said. "But, please. I was the one who fucked up here. Simon did his best."

"Miss Fields. If you want to be noble, you’re in the wrong town. You sink and swim together. That said, neither of you is failing -- yet. You did well, considering what you had to work with. But the fact remains, you broke school rules. You disrespected me and, more importantly, the university. And if you think I’m going to give special treatment, you are sorely mistaken."

Even though I was relieved to know I didn't entirely ruin everything, I couldn't help but disagree with that last part. I crossed my arms, then uncrossed them as I realised I was mirroring his position. "You're already giving me special treatment. You're being harder on me than anyone else."

"And why do you think that is?" he asked.

"I honestly don't know," I replied. I really didn't. Sure, I was on probation. He thought I was a troublemaker. But he'd said it himself: I was irrelevant to him. Why would he try to make my life harder?

He gave me a strange look before saying, "Maybe you should think on that. You'll figure it out."

I couldn't even reply before he disappeared. Hmph. He was so infuriating.


	11. Out Of Your Way

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It was the day after the award show... but a quiet Saturday is not what fate had in store for Rachel.

I stood backstage for a couple more minutes before I finally made my way outside. Students were standing in front of the theatre in small groups, discussing the award show. Unsurprisingly, I heard my name a couple of times. Naturally. I really had acted like an absolute moron.

It didn't take me long to find Simon, who was talking to the girls who had won in our category.

"No, I truly do think that you did a much better job than we did," I heard one of the girls say as I approached them.

Simon shrugged. "I mean, I definitely knew it was a risk, working with Rachel. Hunt really doesn't like that girl. But I didn't think I'd fail the first project because of her!"

I cleared my throat and Simon turned around, clearly embarrassed.

"I... I didn't mean it like that," he said.

I rolled my eyes. "Sure. Anyway, I'm just here to tell you that you didn't fail. Neither did I."

Not waiting for Simon's reply, I turned on my heel and walked back to the dorms. All I really wanted to do was sleep. So I did.

* * *

When I woke up the next morning, I didn't want to leave my bed. Under normal circumstances, I wouldn't have had to. It was Saturday, after all. Unfortunately, though, I hadn't just woken up by myself. The ringing of my phone had disrupted my sleep.

Reading the name on my screen, I already knew I wouldn't have a quiet Saturday in: it was Ethan Blake. He'd probably have some meeting or something lined up for me. Not that I didn't appreciate his help, but I had really hoped for a little bit of relaxation. Nonetheless, I answered the phone.

"Geez, finally," Ethan said. "I almost thought you wouldn't pick up."

"I considered it," I replied sleepily. "What's up, Blake?"

He chuckled. "Were you asleep until now? Oh, sweet Rachel, you have so much to learn. You're in Hollywood now. Your day starts at five in the morning."

"Last I checked, I was just a college student, but okay."

"A college student _in Hollywood_. But, we're getting off topic here. I have some good news. It's time to reap what you sowed."

I didn't understand. "What are you talking about?"

"The launch party's tonight! You know, for Lisa Valentine's new album? She's also showing the music video for the first time. And, as the star of it, you're _obviously_ invited," Ethan said as if I was supposed to know this somehow. Maybe I was.

"Oh. I... guess I'll have to go shopping again then?" Here I'd thought I'd be able to save some money since I didn't have to pay the tuition. Clearly, that wasn't going to happen.

"Absolutely! Should I send Addison over? I'm sure she'd be happy to help."

I shook my head even though I knew he couldn't see it. "No, I have to return something anyway. When should I be where for the party?"

"Club TBD. The party starts at eight, but you better be early."

"Because in Hollywood even being on time is considered late?"

"Yeah, that. And also because I figured you'd want to see the video before the general public does."

We said our goodbyes and after a few more minutes of staring at the ceiling, I reluctantly left my bed and got ready for the day. I grabbed the dress from last night and made my way to Nisha. I was lucky my sense of direction wasn't as bad as my judgement -- or lack thereof -- when it came to my behaviour in school. Otherwise I certainly would not have found the nondescript building again.

When I walked in, Nisha was working on a dress. The bell that rang once the door opened startled her.

She turned to me and a smile came upon her face. "Ah, Addison's friend. How did last night go?"

I shrugged. "It was... okay. I did look gorgeous, though. Thanks to you."

"Aw, you would have looked good in anything, darling," she said and her eyes wandered to the garment bag in my hands. "Is that the dress?"

I nodded. "I didn't know if I should get it dry-cleaned or what so I just... brought it like this."

"That's fine," she replied with a smile. "It's a very special dress and I'm not sure I'd trust anyone but me with cleaning it."

After handing over the dress and promising her I'd tell Addison to come by more often, I left and headed to the boulevard of boutiques that Addison and I had been to just yesterday. I had tried on a few pretty dresses, and without the threat of Hunt scolding me for not being dressed appropriately, I was reasonably certain I'd like some of them.

I was right. In fact, I didn't even have to go into more than one boutique. I walked into one of the boutiques that I remembered a dress from, which not only fit like a glove but was also just the right style for a party like this.

A little black dress that was a little punk-ish with the studs on the top part and the tulle on the bottom, going well with the character I'd played in Lisa's music video. I paid for it -- it was ridiculously expensive -- and returned to campus. Naturally, I couldn't just go back to the dorms in peace.

"Shouldn't you be using the weekend to study rather than go shopping?" an all-too-familiar voice asked.

With a sigh, I turned to Hunt, who had come up behind me. "For someone who claims not to hate me, you really do go out of your way to be an ass to me."

"Do I?" he asked. "I wasn't specifically looking for you if that's what you're implying. I was on my way to my office."

"And you could have kept walking. But you didn't. You decided to waste your energy on making a stupid remark about something that, frankly, is none of your business. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have more important matters to attend to."

With that, I turned back around and continued on my way to the dorms.


	12. Getting Ready

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It was almost time for the party... but there were still some preparations that needed to be taken care of.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm going to try to make chapters a little longer again but university really is kicking my butt at the moment so I'm just trying to get out whatever I can!

Just a few seconds after I'd arrived in my room and thrown the new dress on my bed, I heard a knock on my door. I really couldn't have a single minute of peace around here, could I?

I opened the door to see Ethan, who didn't even ask for permission before he walked past me and into my room. "Did you get what you needed?"

Gesturing to the dress on the bed, I nodded. Ethan picked it up and examined it. "Good, good. This is good. Lisa will like it and the press will eat it up."

"May I ask what you're doing here?"

He looked at me like I was an idiot. "I'm here to help you get ready for the party. Duh."

" _You_? I'm sorry, but you didn't exactly strike me as someone who knows a whole lot about make-up and female fashion."

"First of all, I clearly know more than you do. Secondly, I'm not the one who will take care of all that. I got you an appointment at a beauty salon. Free of charge."

That sounded fishy. "I get that you're well-connected, but that doesn't sound all too believable."

"Fine," he said, scratching the back of his neck. "It's not _really_ a beauty salon. Technically, it's just a dorm room. _But_ it's a very talented make-up-and-hair artist's dorm room so there's not much of a difference, really."

Ah, there it was. Though I had expected worse. If this person was talented -- and I trusted Ethan on this type of stuff -- that was great. I was always up for a free makeover... as long as no one chopped my hair off.

"Sounds great, actually," I said. "When should I go?"

"Like, now, probably. It's still a while until the party starts but it's better not to take any risks. I don't know how long she'll take to transform you from a pretty girl to a superstar."

I chuckled. "Thanks for not calling me ugly."

"I would never," he said and grabbed my dress again. "You should take this with you in case you don't have time to come back here. And take your bag, too. Do you have a matching bag?" He seemed so nervous. It was quite hilarious. Clearly, even though he usually acted like he was so experienced, this was huge for him, too.

"Don't worry so much," I said, mostly because his worry would eventually jump over to me. Honestly, I was surprised I wasn't a nervous wreck yet. "Of course I do."

"Everything needs to be perfect, Rachel," Ethan said as I walked over to my wardrobe and retrieved a simple black clutch. "There are going to be some VIPs at this party. Including big-name producers and other _industry professionals_ who you might want to mingle with."

I immediately got what he was saying. This was a great opportunity for me to get in touch with people who could help me stay here.

 

Soon enough, I was in the dorm for fashion majors, knocking on the aspiring make-up artist's door. She was a beautiful young girl who couldn't have been more than a year older than me -- but I wasn't going to judge her based on that. She might not have been here for long but that didn't mean that she didn't have the talent or the skills to make me prettier.

She introduced herself as Senna and immediately led me to her bathroom -- which was significantly larger than mine for some reason -- where she'd placed one of those typical salon-chairs in front of a full-length mirror. I sat down and she immediately got to work.

She started by brushing my hair, then asked me if I was comfortable with her changing it. I told her it was fine as long as she didn't give me a pixie cut but that was far from what she had planned anyway. She trimmed my hair a tiny little bit in order to remove as much of my split ends as she could and then put some golden highlights in. Once my hair was washed and blow-dried, and I saw what she'd done, I couldn't believe how much of a difference small things like these made.

"See, you don't want it to be all the same colour. But you don't want it to look unnatural, either. You have amazing hair, it just needed that little bit of a pop."

Then she got to my face. She put what felt like a million different skin care products that I never even knew existed on my face before she even started with make-up. The make-up part was the fastest. Clearly, she was very skilled. It only took her about two minutes to give me a perfect winged eyeliner. I was quite impressed.

She put my hair into a pretty bun-type updo that wasn't too sleek but rather a little bit messy-looking. By the time she was entirely done with me, it was already getting late. Truly, it had been the right call to take my things with me.

I quickly got dressed, thanked Senna, and called a cab to take me to club TBD. I got there exactly half an hour before the party would begin. I hoped that was early enough.


	13. The Video Debut

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time for the debut of the music video!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's VERY short. That's because I was busy translating Pro Roscio Amerino by Cicero all week. Whatever you do, do NOT study anything to do with Latin in uni. It's really annoying.

The second I stepped out of the cab, I saw Ethan walking towards me.

"Rachel! Thank God. I was beginning to wonder when you'd show," he said. "Come on now. We've got to get you inside."

I followed him to the entrance, where a familiar face was standing guard. Diego, the same guy who also was a bouncer at the nightclub I went to on my first night here.

"Hey man," Ethan said to him. "You still working on that screenplay?"

"Oh, yeah," Diego replied. "I'd love to tell you about it but I'm sure you've got to get inside."

Ethan nodded. "We do. But I want to hear everything about it next time I see you, yeah?"

"For sure," the bouncer replied and let us into the club. "Have fun, you guys."

Ethan led me through the club, which was still empty save for a couple of people who were putting up some decorations. Someone was putting a few posters of Lisa partying on one wall while some others were putting a stick-on mural of her breaking out of her mermaid costume on another wall.

"Pretty cool, right?" Ethan asked. "It's going to be super awesome. And, as I said, this is a big deal. You might meet some big sharks later."

"Stop making me nervous, Ethan."

"Oh, you've got nothing to worry about. You look perfect and you've handled yourself pretty well until now," he said as he opened a door that led into an impossibly narrow hallway.

"I'm not sure we have the same idea of what _handling myself pretty well_ means," I said before following Ethan to another door at the end of the hallway.

He just chuckled and knocked on the door. Some guy opened it and revealed a relatively packed office-type room.

"Rachel!" Lisa Valentine, who had been standing behind a few other people and looking at a computer screen, said as I entered the room. "You're just in time! Come over here, we were just going to look at the video."

I hurried over to the desk behind which a cluster of people was trying to look at the relatively small screen. Kelsey, who was closest to the computer, pressed play on the video just as I got there.

As bad as this might sound, I was _surprised_ by how good it was. Of course, I trusted Kelsey and Keith to do a good job -- but they were still just college students. And so was I! Nonetheless, the video looked great. It looked professional. And if I was to believe Ethan, this video would be shown to a big audience tonight. This would absolutely count as one of the three major projects I needed to work on.

After watching it, I caught up with Kelsey, Keith, and the rest of the crew who had worked on the video -- until Ethan came up to us and told us the party had started and we should probably go out there. Which we did.

 Some of the guests were students from HWU, others were people I didn't know. And then there were the ones I had only seen on screens or in magazines. I did my best not to freak out when Didi Lekota told me she loved my dress or when I bumped into Emilia Ruiz and we ended up talking about how good the music was for five minutes straight.

Not too long after we'd joined the party, Lisa stepped onto the bar to make an announcement. "Welcome my fans, my friends, my Valentines... to the release party of my new album, ‘Grown-up’! Not only are we here celebrating its release, but surprise surprise, we’re also debuting the music video to the number one single! But before we show it, I'd like to thank the people who made this possible. Kelsey, Keith, Rachel -- come up here!"

Oh. Oh, wow. I had certainly not expected that. We all made our way to the bar and climbed on top of it -- I was almost scared it would collapse underneath us, but it didn't.

People applauded and Lisa put her arms around us as camera lights flashed. Then the video started playing on a large screen that had been put up behind us and we climbed back down to join the crowd.


	14. Men In Suits

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rachel was networking when someone interrupted her...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wrote this during a lecture and then typed it later without changing anything so apologies if there are some mistakes. Was trying to kinda focus on what my professor said and what I was writing and I don't think that worked all too well. Probably won't do that again.

After the video -- which everybody seemed to love -- had played, Ethan pulled me aside to introduce me to a group of men in suits. They didn't seem like the type to attend parties like this -- on the other hand, Ethan had told me this was kind of a high profile event.

"This is the girl I told you about," Ethan said. "Trust me, you wouldn't regret casting her. She may still be a student, but that doesn't make her any less talented."

One of the men looked me up and down, a smile on his lips, before extending his hand. "Pleasure to meet you. Viktor Montmartre."

I recognised the mane but couldn't quite remember why. Probably seen it in a magazine or the credits of a movie at some point. This was Hollywood, after all.

Smiling back at him, I shook his hand. "Rachel Fields."

"So, young Mr Blake told me you're an aspiring actress?" the man asked as he put his arm around my shoulders and led me away from the others. I glanced at Ethan, who simply shrugged as if to say _'Just roll with it.'_

"I am," I said as we walked towards a table in a far corner of the club.

"I don't usually give roles to unknown actors or actresses, " Mr Montmartre said. "I much prefer established ones."

That's when it hit me: Montmartre. As in Montmartre Pictures. This wasn't someone who made a movie or two. He was, in fact, a giant.

"However," he continued, "I do quite like what I've seen in that music video. You've got some fire in you, don't you?"

As he spoke, I got a weird feeling in my gut. Looking up at him to see the vicious sparkle in his eyes didn't help ease that feeling.

"I suppose," I simply replied.

Just before we got to our destination, I heard a voice from behind us. "Montmartre, get your hands off her."

Of fucking course he'd be here.

"Well, well, well," Mr Montmartre said as he turned around. "If it isn't the one and only Thomas Hunt. It's been too long."

Even though his words were followed by a chuckle, there was no warmth in it. Clearly, these two had their differences. Then again, who didn't have their differences with Hunt?

As I turned around as well, I was faced with the professor's signature scowl -- no, that wasn't quite right. While his expression usually made it seem like he hated everyone and everything, this one showed pure hatred and disgust.

"Not long enough, I would argue," Hunt said.

Mr Montmartre let out another chuckle. "I'm surprised to see you here. Didn't you retire from the spotlight?"

"I'm here to supervise my students," Hunt replied, his arms crossed in front of his chest. "Not that it's any of _your_ business."

Montmartre looked back and forth between Hunt and I and a smirk came upon his face. "Your student, huh? Interesting."

"Yes, my student. Now, if you'll excuse us, Miss Fields and I have an important matter to discuss."

"Very well," Mr Montmartre said and turned to me. "If you're still interested, find me after your _talk_ with your professor."

Before I could even reply, he'd turned on his heel and disappeared into the crowd, leaving me with Hunt.

"Can you not stay away from trouble for just one day, Miss Fields?"


	15. Sleazeballs

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After her talk to a powerful player in Hollywood got cut short, Rachel was given another opportunity with yet another executive...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey. Just wanted to mention that I’ll be posting new chapters to this story every Tuesday from now on!

I crossed my arms in front of my chest. "I wasn't getting into trouble. I was looking for my next project. You should know that. After all, you're one of the people who made this a requirement for me to stay at HWU."

"Oh, is that so?" Hunt chuckled dryly. "Letting someone like Victor Montmartre take advantage of you is hardly the way to impress the committee. Quit being so naive if you ever want to make it around here, Miss Fields."

I knew he was right. Mr Montmartre had given off weird vibes. Nonetheless, I wasn't going to let Hunt interfere whenever he felt like it. "I'm not naive. I could have handled myself."

"I don't doubt it," he said, to my surprise. "But you don't exactly have the best track record of staying out of trouble with influential people, do you? Has the incident with Miss Stone taught you nothing?"

Rolling my eyes, I replied, "I don't even know why you care. Can't you just go bother someone who isn't as irrelevant as I am?" I regretted the words as soon as they'd left my mouth. Why did I have to keep showing him that I cared about his opinion of me? Why couldn't I just let him believe that I didn't give a crap?

"Jesus Christ," Hunt said under his breath before speaking up. "You're not seriously still hung up on that, are you? If you're going to succeed in Hollywood, you'll need to develop a thicker skin. People are going to say things that are a lot worse about you."

 _I don't care what people will say. I care what you say!_ I thought to myself. Luckily, I managed not to let the words leave my mouth this time. "Whatever you say, Professor. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have more important people to talk to."

Without waiting for his reaction, I turned back around and walked away from Hunt, looking for Ethan.

It didn't take me long to find him. Of course, he was with yet another group of influential-looking people. When he saw me, he came walking towards me.

"I see your talk with Montmartre didn't go too well," he said. Before I could even reply, he continued, "No worries. I have someone else you might want to meet. Brian Ratzik. Not as big a fish as Montmartre, but he'll do. He’s an executive producer over at Galactic Pictures. And, oh yeah, you love to play golf."

Confused, I asked, "What, why? I don't even--"

"Shh, just roll with it. Now get your game face on. You still want to stay at Hollywood U, don't you?"

"Of course, but--"

Ethan didn't let me finish. He just pulled me towards the group of men, who eyed me curiously.

"Rachel, this is Brian. Brian, this is the white-hot young talent from Lisa's music video, my good friend and client, Rachel Fields."

With a smile, Ratzik extended a hand. "I'm happy to meet you, Rachel."

"As am I, Mr Ratik," I replied as I shook his hand.

He laughed. "I appreciate the respect, but call me Brian. I saw the music video. Very impressive work. You’ve got a lot of potential."

"Potential? My three-year-old nephew has potential. Danny’s kicking butt, taking names, and making hotter-than-hot music videos!" Ethan chimed in.

Brian rolled his eyes and turned toward him. "Relax, Ethan. I see that your client is talented."

"Thank you, Brian," I said, trying to take his attention off Ethan, who seemed a bit too enthusiastic. "I'm curious, what's the next big project over at Galactic Pictures?"

"Oh, it's not official yet, but we’re working on a new film called ‘Tenth Planet’. A space opera about a conflict between Earth and a mysterious planet that decloaks next to ours."

Ethan opened his mouth to speak again but Brian didn't even let him.

"I'll spare you and Ethan any further sucking up. I've got A-list talent on this all around. It's out of your league, I'm afraid," he said.

"Oh," I said, trying to hide my disappointment. "Well, I suppose I might want to look into smaller projects first."

"Do that. You keep working your way up the ladder. Something small opens up, you’ll be at the top of my list. How’s that sound?" Brian said with a smile.

"Pretty good, actually," I said. "Thank you."

"We'll be in touch. I wish you all the best, Rachel," he said, emptying his glass and handing it to a passing waiter. "I've got some business to attend to now."

After he left, Ethan turned to me with a sad expression. "Sorry that didn't work out."

"Don't worry about it," I said, forcing a smile. "Montmartre didn't want me, either. At least not for the right reasons. I'll find something slightly less ambitious, for sure."

"I... I just thought with your first project being something this huge..."

"It's fine. I'll start small and, in no time, I'll be at the top. Starring in big productions left and right."

Ethan's face lit up. "Glad to see you're still so confident. Don't lose that around here, yeah?"

I chuckled. "I'll try my best. Though, with Hunt on my case, I'm not so sure I'll manage."

"Don't let him get you down like that. Speaking of him, though, I think I saw him here earlier. Can you believe it? Hunt, at a party like this?"

"Oh, I can," I said, laughing dryly. "He's just here to rain on my parade, I'm sure."

 _He did kind of save you from Montmartre_ , my inner voice said. I ignored it.

"Well, we won't let him. Come on, we should have some fun. And maybe we'll even run into some other producer or--"

"Enough talking business for today," I said with a laugh. "I, for one, am going to get myself a drink and see if I can score a hot movie star's number. One who preferably has a nice set of abs."

Ethan shook his head at me but grinned. "Very well. Do what you must. I'll be networking."

"To each their own," I said, chuckling, as I headed towards the bar.


	16. A Nice Set of Abs

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After a less-than-ideal night, Rachel finally got to have some fun with someone she didn't expect to meet again so soon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm terrible, I know. But here's the next chapter. Yay! (Also, I actually wrote this ages ago but just forgot to publish it? I'm such a dumbass.)

As I ordered my drink, a Long Island Iced Tea -- it seemed to be that kind of night, someone came up next to me.

"Single Malt. Top shelf. Neat," the man said. I recognised that order -- and that voice, for that matter. Chris Winters.

I turned towards him, but he was already grinning at me. "Rachel. Good to see you."

For a second, I was taken aback. I hadn't expected him to remember my name -- or even meeting me, really. "You remember me?"

"Of course," he laughed. "We met at Blitz a couple of days ago."

"I... I know. I just kind of thought you would have forgotten," I replied, blushing.

He raised an eyebrow. "I didn't get _that_ drunk."

"I didn't mean--"

"I'm just joking," Chris said. Then took a sip from the glass the bartender had just put down in front of him. "I'll have to admit, I didn't expect to see you again so soon. Especially not standing on a bar with Lisa Valentine, presenting a music video you star in."

Now it was my turn to raise an eyebrow. "You underestimated me?"

"You can't blame me. It is just your first week in Hollywood, isn't it? You sure are climbing up that ladder fast."

I chuckled, then frowned. "Well, things aren't going so well tonight."

"How so?" he asked.

I was just about to answer when someone tapped on my shoulder, clearly trying to get to the bar.

"Maybe we should go someplace quieter," Chris suggested.

I nodded and followed him to a booth in a corner of the club. I noticed some people staring at us and suddenly got the feeling that I might be seeing a picture of myself in some gossip magazine sooner rather than later. Once we'd both sat down, Chris asked me again what was wrong.

"Well, my agent has been introducing me to some executives and stuff, but I think he might've been aiming a little high there," I replied.

Chris nodded. "Yeah, I've seen you talk to Ratzik. Be careful around that one. I heard some not-so-great things about him."

"Him, too?" I groaned. "I had a chat with Victor Montmartre earlier, and he didn't seem like the most upstanding guy, either. Are there _any_ decent people around here?"

"Well, I'd hope I am," Chris chuckled. Smiling at me, he added, "Look, I know getting started in Hollywood is hard. But you got a fairly big job in your first week here. Some of us have spent two years modelling underwear in a Walmart catalogue before their big break."

It took me a few seconds to realise he was talking about himself. "No way! You did that?"

"It paved the way for where I am today. And I got some great discounts on boxer-briefs," he said, grinning. "You're going places, Rachel. Maybe not today or tomorrow, but you're in a better place right now than I was years into starting my career."

I couldn't help smiling at that. "Thank you, Chris. You're really putting things in perspective for me."

"Good. Now, if we're done with that pep-talk, how about you tell me about your first week here. It seems a lot has happened, eh?"

Chuckling, I told him about all the adventures -- both good and bad -- that I'd lived through in less than a week of attending Hollywood U. We had some drinks, talked, and laughed for hours. It was a nice change from the start of the night. I was actually having fun. And, even though I'd been joking when I said that to Ethan earlier, I ended up scoring a hot movie star's number. One who did, indeed, have a nice set of abs.


End file.
